Tasha Talks Office Trends on Dear Desk Diary

With the average person spending around 90,000 hours of their lifetime at work, it's essential to create a working environment that inspires those who work within it. This is something Kontor's own Tasha Giddings is passionate about, from writing her dissertation on this topic to discussing it on the Dear Desk Diary podcast 5 years later with the lovely Hollie Sanglier.

Tasha, one of Kontor’s Associate Directors, has been with the company since 2019 and has developed a deep industry knowledge, excelling at finding perfect office spaces for her clients across the globe. She's worked with prominent names such as Deliveroo, Mesh.ai & Milken Institute, establishing herself as a key player in the industry. Tasha’s success stems from finding spaces that blend functionality with aesthetic appeal, to match each brief and exceed expectations where she can. She relies heavily on her intuition to guide her selection process and has really got to grips with how an office elevates performance. 

Kontor takes time to understand what's going to add the most value which is reflected in the bespoke reports they curate. Whether that’s attracting and retaining the best talent by investing in Grade A, amenity-rich space, or finding the most cost-effective solution to save the pennies in those key cost-cutting phases. As current trends and requirements change, it has blurred the lines of conventional office spaces, allowing you to have almost any solution in any building. 

Since the early 2000s, office trends have shifted from siloed cubicles to open-plan, ‘collaboration-enhancing’ spaces. The 2010s introduced features designed to enhance the office experience, such as gyms, free breakfasts, and pool tables to create a more relaxed and sociable vibe. However, regardless of trends, quality workspace design has consistently led to higher productivity and better talent attraction and retention. Modern workspaces now offer health and wellbeing benefits like yoga classes, rooftop event spaces, and multifunctional soundproofed rooms, which employees now increasingly expect. Unsurprisingly, studies have shown that workers are more likely to stay in roles that offer these additional benefits benefits.

During the podcast, Tasha talks about how she recently found a new office location for World Rugby. When asked about their ideal workspace, World Rugby wanted a managed office that enhanced their brand identity, similar to their Dublin HQ. Culture was at the forefront of their decision-making, while also looking for a value-driven location that encouraged collaboration and made the team feel excited about coming in. Of course, Tasha delivered, with the World Rugby team choosing the first space they viewed and deciding to settle in the London Bridge area. Knowing the benefits of having the right workspace, we weren’t surprised at all to hear that World Rugby’s office attendance has almost quadrupled since their move; these kinds of results really speak for themselves.

Tasha goes on to discuss the ever-blurring nuances between serviced, managed, and leased spaces, and which of these solutions are best suited to companies at varying levels of growth and development. She breaks down the pros and cons of each space and what they mean to a prospective tenant. Her knowledge is unquestionable, and valuing culture as highly as she does means that clients never feel rushed into making a decision.

If you’re interested in hearing more from the podcast, then you can watch on YouTube or listen on Spotify - just search Dear Desk Diary and you can find Tasha on Linkedin.

Whether you’re starting to look for your first space for the new team, or you’re ready to find the right place for your larger team to settle for a while, Kontor has you covered. Make sure you reach out to our team by contacting us at +44 (0)20 3770 4279 or hello@kontor.com. Alternatively, make sure you keep up with our social media to see what we are getting up to, and what hot properties we have coming to market.

By Nenagh Acock Jones, Marketing Manager